"Is 'big' a species? Some kind of giant?"
it's definitely a giant, but I can't see what type. Some are more...amicable than others. Though individuals always vary, and one that leads with 'Meat' and a crossbow bolt is unlikely to be swayed by words. Best to bring him down fast.
"Agreed...unless you think me flashing some leg at him will persuade him to reconsider...somehow I kinda doubt it."
If you want to make him MORE hungry, I guess Orin says with a smirk.
"That would depend if it prefers hairy legs." The gnome dead-pans.
What is it? Straehan, can you light it up somehow? At this range I can't tell what species it is, and if it's likely to respond to a parley.
Straehan gives Orin a feral grin as Jayse sprints up hill and vanishes into the darkness. "Oh I can light it up in several ways... but let me see what kind of conventional lighting I can deliver. For what's it's worth, it is a Cyclops of some sort."
The gnome makes a series of arcane gestures and a set of 4 lights appear and bob near the creature - illuminating it and the approaching monk. Given the massive size of the creature and its weapons, you debate whether Straehan should shut the lights off.
In the light, you can see a calculating, somewhat intelligent look in the cyclop's eye. It seems unimpressed by the eldritch lights around it. Instead, it gauges the monk's progress and fingers its ballista-sized arbalest and the greataxe on its back - debating which weapon to deploy.
Orin - normally, I'd throw in a spoilered precis on the creature to reveal the basics, but if you want to RP it, feel free.
Re: Parley - it is reasonably intelligent but also evil. It might be possible to negotiate with it but the creature would probably require a strong show of strength on your part before it would see you as something other than a meal.
ORDER:
Map: 30 Degrees of Battle
Good idea. Yes, it's a cyclops--but no ordinary cyclops. I've heard of some that are bigger than their kin, and can glimpse the future at times. This one won't parley unless it feels it might lose, and that won't happen without a strong show of force.
Orin also adopts a fighting stance--while Jayse crouches low and defensively, Orin stands tall, hands at his sides, moving slowly and carefully studying his much-larger opponent.
[ooc] Knowledge (Nature)
Good idea. Yes, it's a cyclops--but no ordinary cyclops. I've heard of some that are bigger than their kin, and can glimpse the future at times. This one won't parley unless it feels it might lose, and that won't happen without a strong show of force.
Orin also adopts a fighting stance--while Jayse crouches low and defensively, Orin stands tall, hands at his sides, moving slowly and carefully studying his much-larger opponent. As part of his movements, Orin weaves a spell, and several duplicate images of himself are created.
"That would depend if it prefers hairy legs." The gnome dead-pans.
"I believe that is why they invented stockings..." which i am NOT wearing...
As Jayse and Orin move up to protect herself and Straehan, she gauges the cyclops intentions. "If it wants to eat us, then at some point it will have to approach us. We can take cover behind the rock outcroppings and make it come down here to get us."
...Not that it wouldn't be painful, but Jayse and Orin too I suspect are much more effective close in combatants.
She raises her hand and bathes the area with divine energy bolstering her comrades for the upcoming fight and moves under the outcropping, trying to gain some cover from its crossbow attacks. She also reaches into a hidden pouch and activates Skitter, chattering softly to it explaining the situation.
Orin sneaks forward, his careful eyes noting details of the cyclops that his mind compares to books of lore he once studied. With a few quick gestures, multiple images of himself appear. He gains another measure of safety standing behind the mystical door to Crossroads that rises halfway out of the hill's slope.
Ushari also creeps forward as her divine grace washes across her comrades, instilling them with skill. The open slope provides less cover than she would hope for.
Map: 30 Degrees of Battle
You don't need to list a coordinate with a '-' unless that is the actual (negative) coordinate. H6 is fine with me. If it doesn't work for you, do H/6 or H|6 or pretty much anything but H-6 since I will read that as -6. Normally I try to do maps without the negative coordinates, this time I screwed up. My initial read was that Jayse did a double-move and I missed the Full Defensive as a Standard action bit. So that was my mistake.
Orin, I'm assuming you mean G2 not G-2.
Second, if you guys would, please put actions on separate OOC lines. Ushari's or Straehan's posts are the format I find easiest to read and spot any odd discrepancies. You don't need to list 'action' but showing the action type would be great:
Third, if you are casting a spell, it would be great to show a link to the spell as it makes my job easier. See Ushari's or Straehan's post for examples of that as well.
ON with the Show...
AC: Good
CMD: Very Good
HPs: Very Good
Best Save: Fort
Worst Save: Reflex
Special Defenses: DR 3/- and SR
Special Abilities: Can pick a specific result on a die roll once per day
Comments: Brutal Melee Combatant
Prayer - Rnd: 1 of 7 - +1 Luck to ATTs, Weapon DAM, Saves, Skills
ENEMIES
None
:: Strike for the space between horn and eye ::
... whispers the Gauntlet in his mind, giving Jofram an edge.
Arcane energy winks for a moment around the ranger as he activates his magical armor. The last vestiges of the fey glow form themselves into his bow, the half elf readying arrows to nock even as the weapon coalesces.
Arrows stream from the summoned bow toward the massive creature's single eye.
Jofram's arrows strike like bolts of lightning - two of them burying half-way to their fletching in the cyclop's brow. The beast staggers under the two spikes of burning pain in its skull. It throws its head back and howls its pain and fury.
Rules: You are a bit off on how Manyshot works. You can only score critical damage once despite the fact that both arrows hit. However, you do receive your other benefits twice - once per arrow, including the Prayer bonus you forgot. Our houserule about criticals does apply to each arrow, so on the 'threat' you get the max damage for each die. Also, you don't multiply your base roll for the critical damage, you roll the dice. So the damage (all rules included) looks like this:
Arrow #1 Base: <-includes DR
Arrow #2 Base: <-includes DR
Crit Damage (using your included rolls):
TOTAL DAM:
ORDER:
Map: 30 Degrees of Battle
70|70
71|79
72|72
52|52
60|60
Prayer - Rnd: 1 of 7 - +1 Luck to ATTs, Weapon DAM, Saves, Skills
ENEMIES
None
Jofram grins at the well placed shot, and brandishes a pair of masterwork arrows.
"Maybe I'm not worth the trouble, you overgrown ektut*!"
Popeye drops his crossbow and pulls his greataxe while thundering down the mountain at an alarming pace... lumbering easily across the familiar terrain. He roars twice and drives his greataxe deeply into the lose shale and rock above our heroes. The hillside quakes and explodes from the strength of his titanic blow. It is the single hardest strike any of you has ever seen. Sharp boulders are shot like giant, lethal, marbles in all directions - some landing halfway down the hillside and tumbling the rest of the way to the valley floor. You are whipped by a shower of dirt and pulverized rock. Needle shards of rock nick you all as they explode past, forcing you to shield yourselves briefly.
There is an ominous silence. Then there is the sound of stone cracking and splitting as the entire hillside between Popeye and yourself gives way and slides like a deadly grey torrent downhill towards your position. It quickly gathers speed. The avalanche threatens to boil over you or throw you all from the steep slope, even as it smashes the door to Crossroads to utter ruin. Popeye lopes in skillfully behind it, coming towards the half-elf that's caused him so much pain...
ORDER:
Map: 30 Degrees of Battle
70|70
71|79
72|72
52|52
60|60
Prayer - Rnd: 1 of 7 - +1 Luck to ATTs, Weapon DAM, Saves, Skills
ENEMIES
None
Total DAM: <-- not factoring in Hardness cuz "it won't make any difference".
Orin sees the danger and reacts quickly, trying to save as many of his teammates as he can. He chants an incantation and starts rising off the ground, his hair lengthening as he floats. The teacher reaches into his pack and drops a rope to Ushari while his hair snakes toward Jayse.
Grab hold, quickly!
Before Orin can throw down his rope, Ushari yells up to him "Don't worry about me Orin, I can take care of myself!"
"Get high! Get fast! Or get vanished, people! Don't let him get you with that ridiculous axe!" Suiting action to words, Jayse channels the power of his mind through the stone at his forehead, melting from sight. Without wasting a breath, Jayse stokes the warm power flowing deep in his core, pushing it hard down into his legs, giving them a hot, tingly feeling.
If everyone could see Jayse, they'd see him launch from the ground like a giant grasshopper -- slippers finding an impossible grip just northwest of where Orin shelters -- then immediately rocket once again up into the air, attempting to clear the on-rushing avalanche in a pell-mell dash for the cyclops's discarded crossbow.
As it stands, the only evidence of his passing is a rush of wind past Orin that disturbs his long, white hair.
Ushari spares the inviting doorway leading back to the Crossroads a split second glance before she notes Jayse vanishing out of sight.
I am NOT walking all the way back to Orfallen in these heels!
She holds her hand out and allows her divine power to suffuse her body. As she finishes calling on her deity, her body becomes lighter than air and she launches herself up into the nighttime air, the chill completely forgotten! She looks up at Orin and gives him a wave, "I am right behind you!"
Invisible, Jayse leaps to the top of the doorframe before throwing himself over the roiling flood of stone rolling down the mountainside. It isn't a question of strength. Jayse's powerful leap carries him over the leading edge of the avalanche, and were he on level ground, it would carry him a great many feet besides...enough to pass over the flood entirely. But strength and speed aren't the issues. The relentless mountainside rises up to meet Jayse even as his jump passes its crest. He augers into the long, less turbulent tail of the avalanche...
Straehan leaps into the air while casting a spell... and keeps going. His robe flaps as the gnome soars up and forward - moving well clear of the avalanche.
ORDER:
Map: 30 Degrees of Battle
70|70
71|79
72|72
52|52
60|60
Prayer - Rnd: 2 of 7 - +1 Luck to ATTs, Weapon DAM, Saves, Skills
ENEMIES
None
"Vae anos teracar! Muat anos ferusande!"
Orin nods to Jofram, clearly understanding him. He sees the danger and reacts quickly, chanting an incantation and rising off the ground, his hair lengthening as he floats. He reaches into his "scroll case" and produces a longbow, nocking an arrow.
Jayse skips like a stone across the turgid surface of the avalanche, his slippers giving him traction as he leaps between churning bone-crushing boulders. His feet are no match for his headlong speed, however. A slight mistep and the monk tumbles into the frothy mix of pumice and sharp rock, narrowly avoiding injury.
Ushari and Orin launch straight up into the air, the latter trailing sinuous hair that moves as if alive, even as a bow appears in his hands.
Fading into the churning dust, Jofram runs laterally to escape the flow of rocks and dirt.
Action Adjustment: Jofram skids to a halt, changing direction and jumping for Orin's hair-rope.
Unsure whether he can get clear of the avalanche in time, Jofram spins and leaps for the trailing mane of hair. The snaky locks twine around his arms even as he starts to pull himself up. In a moment, Jofram has climbed to within 5' of the levitating spell-slinging warrior.
Like a vengeful plague, the avalanche howls and slams across the door, the ridgeline, and the narrow strip of land where the comrades were standing previously. Boulders 4 feet around, bounce and skip down the mountainside. A river of pebbles, stones, and rock dust scour the area clean - raising a choking fog. The doors thrum under the crushing onslaught but their magic is such that they resist splintering. They form an impregnable dam that shunts rocks and debris around and over them. Unfortunately, the mountain of rock continues to flow and pools behind then over the doors. In a few moments, they are half-buried and the tide of stone and earth blocking them continues to rise. They will be solidly entombed in rock shortly.
The wind off the moving wall of rock is ferocious, batting and spinning Jofram like a kite on the end of a string. The avalanche passes just a few feet below him. As he spins, he looks to the spot where he had planned to run. It isn't there any longer. There is only an ocean of sharp and churning rock.
Popeye follows carefully in the wake of the avalanche, his massive weight and cloven hoofs providing traction on the shifting rock. He slides to a stop in the 'dam' above the now buried door. Still stinging from the half-elf's arrows and his challenge in the Giant's Tongue, he eyes the dangling ranger like a pinata.
He swings the greataxe in a wide arc, gathering speed and powering it with his massive arms. The blow hammers Jofram to one side, cracking ribs, and nearly pulling the hair from Orin's skull.
ORDER:
Map: 30 Degrees of Battle
70|70
33|79
72|72
52|52
60|60
Prayer - Rnd: 3 of 7 - +1 Luck to ATTs, Weapon DAM, Saves, Skills
ENEMIES
None
Reflex Save (or prone) combo bonus
Greataxe (20/x3) - Power Attack
Jayse struggles against the compulsion to barrel down on the cyclops to help the dangling Jofram. Mostly likely only get yourself cut in two, he thinks. Dismissing the urge, Jayse does his best to climb/swim against the sliding, churning rocks… all of his will and energy focusing on finding some decent footing up-hill.
AC 25 • Touch 19 • FF 22
CMD 32 • FF 29 (+2 vs. Grapple/Trip)
Fort +8 Reflex +8 Will +10
Effects/Conditions: Mage Armor, Vanish (rd 2/7), Prayer (rd 3/7)
Power Points 6/11
Ki 3/8
Stunning Fist 4/7
Hero Points 1